For most of us, apples are a sign of autumn; we head to local orchards for pick-your-own; we savor fresh-baked pies and fresh-pressed cider.

For Dowse Orchards, which has been a part of Sherborn almost as long as there’s been a Sherborn, apples are every day. Wicked Local reported.

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“It takes all year to grow apples,” said Alex Dowse.

Maintaining 130 acres, 45 of which are devoted to apple trees, includes dealing with everything nature can throw at you -- mice, flood, deer, worms, drought.

It’s the drought that was foremost on Dowse’s mind as he drove through the orchards last week. While some trees have irrigation, others do not; unless plenty of rain comes the orchards’ way, the consequences include smaller apples and reduced yields.

“There’s no hedge against drought,” he said. “We need an inch of rain a week for the rest of the month.”

Dowse showed where part of the orchard draws its water -- a small reservoir currently 3 feet below its normal level.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it this dry,” he said, adding that last winter and spring had also been drier than normal.

Several trees show half-eaten apples on the bough and on the ground, the result of thirsty birds pecking into apples for the moisture.

At another part of the orchard, Dowse pointed to a row of stumps -- all that remained of trees destroyed by mice in the spring of 2015 -- not as a result of drought, but from the record-setting winter.

“The mice killed 1,000 trees,” he said.

Weather, critters and disease are all part of the Dowse family’s world of maintaining an orchard that’s been around since 1778.

At the farm stand

Despite the weather, and other challenges, early apples such as Jersey Macs are already in the farm stand on Main Street, which is open every day from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. In addition to apples, the farm stand offers a variety of fruits and vegetables grown by the Dowse family, including tomatoes, asparagus and eggplant.

The farmstand also offers corn, meats and other products produced by regional vendors.

The orchard's own apple cider should be available in the farm stand by the end of September.

As for the other fall fruit, pumpkins, Dowse said they’re coming in “all right,” thanks to irrigation.

About the PYO

Pick-your-own season at Dowse Orchards will take place weekends beginning Sept. 10.

Those taking part in pick-your own should be aware of what happens to “drops,” or those apples thrown to the ground while PYO visitors rummage for just the right apple.

The “drops” are not sold at the farmstand or sent elsewhere.

“All discarded fruit on the ground in the U-Pick operation is not used due to concern of contamination and is generally ground up in place,” said Alex Dowse.

Dowse said that up to 60 percent of the PYO crop ends up on the ground.